Image: OÖN
“We are completely rebuilding the network that our ancestors built over 100 years in 20 years,” says Johannes Zimmerberger, Managing Director of Linz Netz.
PV boom in and around Linz
The background is the energy transition and the associated photovoltaic boom. In 2022, around 10,000 applications were submitted to Linz Netz – a record number and more than tripling within just one year. There are currently 15,173 PV systems with a total output of 253.8 megawatts in the Linz Netz supply area, which includes 81 municipalities. To put it into perspective: According to Linz AG General Director Erich Haider, the network in the city of Linz and the surrounding area needs around 400 megawatts. When the sun is shining, more than half of the electricity now comes from PV systems.
“Energy flows turn around”
This has serious consequences. “The energy flows are reversing,” says Zimmerberger. What was previously centralized electricity generation from a few power plants is becoming decentralized electricity generation from a large number of PV systems. The infrastructure must be expanded and converted in accordance with the new requirements, because solar energy brings with it some challenges: “When the sun rises, a lot of electricity comes into the network, but there should not be any overvoltage. In the evening, 20 percent is suddenly missing. These tensions have to be balanced,” says Haider.
700 million euros in ten years
Over the next ten years, Linz AG will therefore invest 700 million euros in the power grid. On the one hand, substations and transformer stations are being expanded and rebuilt. For example, the completely rebuilt UW Linz-Nord was commissioned in June and the 110 kv switching station in Pichling was expanded into a 110/10 kv substation. On the other hand, existing lines are reinforced.
PV systems in companies and public buildings
As an electricity producer, Linz AG operates numerous PV projects itself. The majority of the newly built PV systems are located on the roofs of companies and on public buildings. Current examples are PV systems on the roofs of the ÖAMTC bases, at the location of the battery manufacturer Banner or on the roof of the new freezer and pharmaceutical hall in the Linz AG harbor. “We are on the right track and will be climate neutral by 2040,” says Mayor Klaus Luger (SP), who is also chairman of the supervisory board of Linz AG.
Green industry needs international network expansion
But the biggest challenge remains large-scale industry. As is well known, ten percent of all CO2 emissions in Austria are produced in the Linz city area – an expression of economic strength, but also a mandate for action. In order to produce the necessary green hydrogen, which makes decarbonized steel production possible, Linz AG’s efforts require an expansion of the international networks.
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Source: Nachrichten
